and several Southern men.  I was assigned the duty of summing up the case for our side, and answering the final argument of the opposition.  I have never felt myself in such danger of failure before, all had so much better knowledge of the facts than I, and all had more experience with that class of litigation? but I am very sure no one of them did so much hard work, in the five nights and six days of the trial, as I did.  I am glad to tell you that I have received a dispatch from Mobile, that the court adopted my view of the case, and gave us a verdict on all points.”

Who can doubt, after reading of these two cases, that had Garfield devoted himself to the practice of the law exclusively, he would have made one of the most successful members of the profession in the country, perhaps risen to the highest rank?  As it was, he was only able to devote the time he could spare from his legislative labors.

These increased as years sped.  On the retirement of James G. Blaine from the lower House of Congress, the leadership of his party devolved upon Garfield.  It was a post of honor, but it imposed upon him a vast amount of labor.  He must qualify himself to speak, not superficially, but from adequate knowledge upon all points of legislation, and to defend the party with which he was allied from all attacks of political opponents.

On this subject he writes, April 21, 1880:  “The position I hold in the House requires an enormous amount of surplus work.  I am compelled to look ahead at questions likely to be sprung upon us for action, and the fact is, I prepare for debate on ten subjects where I actually take part in but one.  For example, it seemed certain that the Fitz John Porter case would be discussed in the House, and I devoted the best of two weeks to a careful ‘re-examination’ of the old material, and a study of the new.

“There is now lying on top of my book-case a pile of books, revisions, and manuscripts, three feet long by a foot and a half high, which I accumulated and examined for debate, which certainly will not come off this session, perhaps not at all.  I must stand in the breach to meet whatever comes.

“I look forward to the Senate as at least a temporary relief from this heavy work.  I am just now in antagonism with my own party on legislation in reference to the election law, and here also I have prepared for two discussions, and as yet have not spoken on either.”

My young readers will see that Garfield thoroughly believed in hard work, and appreciated its necessity.  It was the only way in which he could hold his commanding position.  If he attained large success, and reached the highest dignity in the power of his countrymen to bestow, it is clear that he earned it richly.  Upon some, accident bestows rank; but not so with him.  From his earliest years he was growing, rounding out, and developing, till he became the man he was.  And had his life been spared to the usual span, it is not likely that he would have desisted, but ripened with years into perhaps the most profound and scholarly statesman the world has seen.